In the same vein, the state’s contract with InBloom, the nonprofit consulting company, to store critical, personal student data — social security numbers, testing information, conduct, psychological problems and the like — on an amorphous “cloud,” where that data can be accessed by “authorized users,” is opposed by many parents. We’d like lawmakers to seek InBloom’s guarantee that the information will be secure — and to give parents the choice to opt out of the system.

Legislative cooperationAfter two years of contentious, toe-the-party-line battles in the County Legislature, it’s long past time for some bipartisan cooperation. With four new members joining the body on Jan. 1, there is hope that new voices can help turn the tide. Legislators are elected to serve the people, not their parties, a concept we feel is too often lost. Ideas from both sides will be needed to address the major issues the county faces, and more compromise is absolutely imperative.

Affordable housingWe want our young adults and seniors to have places to live on Long Island that won’t bankrupt them. We want them to be able to stay here instead of moving away. With that in mind, we urge more communities to generate realistic plans for transit-oriented development and to increase the supply of affordable housing.

A fair share for educationWe would like Long Island to finally get its fair share of state education aid. For too long, we have sent more money to Albany than we get back. We’re not as affluent as the rest of the state seems to think, and we should stop being used as a piggy bank for other counties. Can you hear us, state legislators?

Comments

Kudos to the editors for including inBloom on your "Wish list for Christmas" (12/19/13). The wholesale uploading of sensitive and potentially damaging data about our children is unconscionable given what we know about Wikileaks, the NSA and now the Target fiasco. Parents, teachers and now many NY State legislators adamantly oppose inBloom. It appears that its only defenders are the corporations which stand to make a profit from exploiting the data and school superintendents who are so intent on courting favor with the State Education Department that they are unable to admit the lurking dangers of this foolish experiment.